Beat the August Heat: A Look Back at Our Chilliest Winter Archives
During these final days of summer, we are all looking for ways to cool off. There is something refreshing about staring at a street corner encased in solid ice or a neighborhood blanketed in snow while sitting in 90-degree summer heat. Sometimes the best antidote to a sweltering afternoon is a visual reality check from the deepest, coldest stretches of winter history.
Washington Square North
This image was one of many taken by Ricardo Spina during the February, 1978 Blizzard, one of the most destructive blizzards in American history. This Blizzard blanketed the Northeast, dumping 17.7 inches of snow on NYC, closing schools and bringing NYC to a standstill.
See the full Ricardo Spina Collection here.
The photo below is also from the Ricardo Spina Collection during the Blizzard looking down Jones Street towards Bleecker Street.
Fire and Ice: 34th Street Fire
The images below, also from the Ricardo Spina Collection, were taken in the aftermath of a winter fire on 34th Street.
See more images like this in the Ricardo Spina Collection here.
The Horsedrawn Snowplow
One of our favorites images, this photo of a horse-drawn snow plow in Washington Square Park was taken by Ruth E. Cushman in the 1930s. It is likely one of the last horse-drawn snowplows of Lower Manhattan, as work horses were almost complete phased out within the decade. Read more about the evolution of the NYC workshorse here,
1950s Washington Square Park
The images below are part of our Nat Kaufman Collection and show Washington Park in the midst of winter.
See more cool winter photos from our archive here by selecting the tag “winter” and clicking apply.
Our image archive highlights the history of the people and built environment of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo, and New York City in general. It has been assembled over the years through generous donations and consists of several dozen different collections.
Learn how you can help build these collections by donating images here.
And if you want to learn more about our 5,700-image, 75 collection-strong historic image archive, which turns 30 this year, attend a free webinar with Village Preservation Exec. Dir. Andrew Berman this Wednesday, August 26th at 6pm. He’ll take a deep dive into the archive, highlighting favorites, sharing backstories, and revealing mysteries both solved and unsolved. Register HERE.